


Accidentally Revealed

by Pengirl91



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Because I am obsessed with these two idiots, F/M, Identity Reveal, Love Square fluff, Mid-Season, Reveal, This is how we deal with a hiatus
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-18
Updated: 2020-01-18
Packaged: 2021-02-27 12:21:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 17,598
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22307086
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pengirl91/pseuds/Pengirl91
Summary: Cat Noir didn't mean to see it. He really didn't. He had looked on instinct, the pink light cathing his eye. It was too late by the time he realized what he had done. Ladybug was...Marinette?He was in BIG trouble.Takes place in the middle of season 3 somewhere after Weredad and before Feast.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir & Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Comments: 27
Kudos: 233





	1. When a split second changes everything

"Ladybug look out!" Cat Noir lunged for his partner. Pushing her out of Timefly's beam of accelerating time. They tumbled and he quickly lifted himself off of her before helping her up. The beam hit the tree behind them which grew to twice its original size in seconds. Cat Noir turned to face their opponent. The supervillain moved so fast, he only ever caught a blur of him. 

"It's no use Cat Noir. He's too fast. We need to get zapped so we can move at his speed."

Cat Noir didn't think that was such a great idea. Timefly's blasts were all different. Sometimes his targets would only move at twice their normal speed but other times it was so fast a person's life flew past them as had just happened to the tree. They needed to fix this and fast, Cat Noir thought, thinking of his friends whom he had watched grow old in a matter of minutes. "That seems risky Ladybug!" He dodged another beam. "Somehow I doubt he would be willing to be that helpful." 

"Maybe we just need to get lucky." She shot him her classic grin and threw her yoyo in the air calling for her lucky charm. He paused only for a second to admire her sharp focus as she pieced a plan together which would apparently include... was that anti-aging cream? Somehow he doubted that stuff would do them any good and yet Ladybug's smile told him that she had a plan. Man, she looked so sexy when she did that. A blast near his feet caused the ground to quickly decay. Right. Fight first, then admire. 

"I don't think hiding a few wrinkles is going to help." He said catching up to her side again. 

"Follow me and get your cataclysm ready." She ignored his quip. "I need you to distract him for a second and bring him closer to the street."

"No problem." He grinned at her before charging Timefly while avoiding his shots. He managed to get Timefly to chase him towards the nearest street while he could see Ladybug applying the cream to a fire hydrant one street over and then loosening it up, causing an eruption of water and an upcoming car to swerve onto his street. Ladybug disappeared from sight. Now what? 

The driver looked panicked as he saw what lay before him. Timefly took aim at the car and Cat Noir dove off of the road. Timefly had tried this trick before. Only this time the car didn't come flying at them at double speed because Ladybug had leaped from seemingly nowhere and jumped in front of the beam, she was now twice as fast and could keep up with Timefly. He called for his cataclysm and pursued as closely as he could.  
Ladybug managed a few good kicks and didn't seem to notice her earrings beeping. If she was moving at twice her normal speed she only had a minute or so left. Cat Noir wasn't sure how to help but noticed the exact moment Ladybug realize what was going to happen. She froze and frantically looked around. She raced towards the nearest building but it looked like it would be a close one.

Whatever happened, Timefly could not see his lady transform back. "Hey, fast forward to the part where we win would ya?" He charged the villain, making sure Timefly's attention was on him. He swerved and ducked. A flash of red behind Timefly caught his eye. Without thinking, his eyes focused on the source and he froze. Thankfully, Timefly was facing him and hadn't noticed that right at the door Ladybug had just rushed to, right where there had been a flash, for only a second, as she had rushed out of sight, had been the unmistakable appearance of Marinette. 

Marinette was Ladybug? 

A blast of time accelerate nearly got him as he rolled away and Cat Noir pushed the thought away, focusing on the battle at hand. Ladybug reappeared and with Timefly focused on him, the akuma victim didn't notice the rope being lassoed around him, locking him into position. "Cat Noir, the picture on his zapper quick!" Ladybug said in a high pitched double-speed voice. He rushed to them and touched the zapper in the akuma victim's left hand. Indeed there was a picture of what Cat Noir assumed was the victim's family. Ladybug released Timefly in order to catch and deevilized the akuma as Cat Noir stared at her, eyes wide. The eye color, the hair, her mouth… everything about Ladybug was so clearly Marinette. It was as if a veil had always been in front of her face and now it was lifted and he couldn't see Ladybug without seeing the girl underneath the mask. Whatever magic had kept her identity from him had been broken by that one accidental glance. 

"What happened? Where's my daughter?" The deakumatized victim looked frantically at his surroundings.

Ladybug grabbed the rope that was now loose around the man and threw it in the air. "Miraculous ladybug!" Thousands of tiny ladybugs rushed to revert everything back to the way it was, including Ladybug who was now moving at a normal speed. 

"She must be back at the graduation," Marinette answered the victim. No. Ladybug. 

"I ruined it didn't I? I was just upset that my little girl was leaving. They grow up so fast you know."  
Ladybug nodded understandingly. "I'll bring him back, I think I have more time left than you." She touched her earrings. Right, she had needed to use her power a second time to get the rope. Cat Noir nodded, not trusting his voice. 

"Bug out!" She sent him a quick flicked salute before swinging away with the victim. 

In an alley, he hid behind a dumpster as he let the transformation fall. He stared straight ahead, finally allowing himself to let the revelation sink in. Ladybug, the girl he loved, admired, fought next to every other day. The girl who saved Paris, who helped civilians, who had first been insecure and unsure but had then become the bravest person he had ever met. That girl was not only someone he knew but one of his closest friends.  
Marinette. 

It seemed so obvious now. She was thoughtful, smart, talented, always looking out for others, selfless. How had he not put it together sooner?

"You ok kid?" Plagg asked, looking at him full of concern. 

Adrien must have looked really bad for Plagg to ask that instead of demanding his typical need for cheese. 

Adrien stared at him glossy-eyed. "Ladybug… Marinette…" Why couldn't he form sentences?

"Ok." Plagg looked even more concerned, not a typical look for him. "Let's just go home and talk things out there. I just need food first." 

That he could do. He reached into his pocket and grabbed a piece of camembert for his kwami. 

"I have to tell her I know." Guilt was starting to eat at him. This was not how this was supposed to happen! They were going to defeat Hawkmoth, she was going to allow herself to fall in love with him, they would reveal themselves. Get to know one another, get married… But now he ruined everything. "She's going to be so mad. I shouldn't have looked, why did I look?"

"Calm down kid. It was an accident. She'll forgive you. This is a good thing. You finally know who the girl you love really is!"

The girl he loved. He loved Ladybug with all his heart and it was so easy now to see Marinette in her place but could he really claim he loved her if he hadn't picked up on her being behind him in class every day? Did he truly love all of her if he had only fallen in love with a part of her? Marinette was amazing, he had always thought so, but she had always just been a friend. Was that because he hadn't fallen for her civilian self or because he was so focused on who he thought was someone else?  
That was a question for another time. Once Plagg was done eating he called for his transformation. On his way home, he kept an eye out for Ladybug or Marinette. Maybe he should drop by her place and see her? He would rather have this conversation when she was Ladybug. He wasn't sure why. He tried calling her on her yoyo with no luck. He made a detour to her place. She wasn't on her balcony and he couldn't just walk in the front door asking for her because, last time, that had ended with her dad becoming Weredad.  
Cat Noir stopped in his tracks. That had happened because he had turned down his daughter, Marinette. Who was Ladybug. Who had said she loved him. Who had very clearly told him otherwise as her alter-ego. Why would she lie about that? And which one was the lie? His heart thumped rapidly in his chest.  
Marinette falling for Cat Noir had always surprised him. He didn't think he'd be her type. Which, if he was right, meant he wasn't Ladybug's type. He pushed that thought away. One thing at a time. It seemed the most likely, unfortunately, that she had lied about being in love with him but why? He thought back to the events leading up to her declaration. They had just saved baby August again. Ladybug had left with the pacifier, he went up to catch up with her and get it back but had seen Marinette, whom he had assumed was a fan but from her point of view… she thought she was caught. She lied to cover up her identity. As hurt as that made him feel, at least he now understood. His first declaration of love and it had all been a lie. He deflated. He was nowhere near ready to talk to Ladybug about all this yet. He needed to figure stuff out first. 

He went home and transformed back before dramatically collapsing on his bed. Plagg could make fun of him all he wanted. He was in despair. To his surprise, Plagg instead patted his head. 

"She'll never love me back Plagg. I'm not her type, she's too good for me." And he didn't deserve her. Not if he hadn't loved all of her. "Besides, she'll be mad at me when I tell her the truth."

"You're looking at this all wrong. Now you know who she is, you know her even better and have a new chance to have her fall in love with you. If Cat Noir isn't her type, maybe Adrien is."

"Don't be silly Plagg. I'm just her friend." 

Plagg gave him a flat look. "Fine, give up then." He crossed his arms. 

Maybe he should. Marinette deserved better than him. She deserved someone who loved all of her without hesitation, whom she could trust and fully love back. He wasn't any of those things.

Adrien turned on his side. He had to get his emotions in check. The last thing he needed was to be akumatized and put Ladybug, Marinette, in danger with his new knowledge. Instead, he focused on everything he had missed that should have clued him in. Marinette had never been akumatized, she was always late after akuma attacks, she would make excuses if she had to go fight one. He hadn't noticed because he was busy doing the same. And back when she had been on a secret mission to beat Evilustrater, she had been undercover as herself. He facepalmed in embarrassment at how he had acted towards her, Ladybug. He had even said she could be his Ladybug. He had called her the class' everyday Ladybug. Adrien pushed his head into his pillow as deep as it could go, wishing it would swallow him. 

How could he have been so blind? Marinette was the one who starred Hawk Moth down that very first akuma attack. That look of confidence was the exact same as when she became class president. Her brilliant plans on the battlefield from the same brilliant mind that had made a hat so impressive, his dad had incorporated it in the fashion show which hadn't been part of the original contest. Or the work she had done for Jagged Stone. That had been impressive. He still had her signed copy, Ladybug's signature. 

How did she manage it all? He always thought she was one of those cluttered mind artists but really, she was just juggling her normal life, her extracurriculars and saving Paris without anyone knowing. She was even more amazing than he was giving her credit for. 

Adrien further buried his head into his pillow as if that would help him hide from the mess that was his thoughts and feelings. It was all too overwhelming. He wished he could just fall asleep. Maybe everything would make sense in the morning. 

"I told Ladybug about my wounded heart. That night I took Marinette to the surprise I had for Ladybug." She had been surprised at his deceleration. 

_You're in love with Ladybug? For real?_

He had never really focused on that but now… had she truly not known his real feelings? Had he been that bad at expressing them? 

And then when he had taken her to the rooftop she had apologized. He had said it wasn't her fault. Plagg had teased him relentlessly about taking Marinette to his romantic spot. Wait. Plagg had known who Ladybug was ever since the Dark Owl incident. And since then had made comments about him and Marinette here and there. At the ice rink, her false confession of love to Cat Noir, when he danced with her… In his own way, Plagg had been trying to get him to be with Marinette. 

"You're a romantic." He looked up at his kwami. 

"What?" Plagg froze. 

"You were pushing me towards the civilian Ladybug." He smirked at his kwami. 

"I don't know what you're talking about." He looked away as if insulted. 

Adrien smiled at him, turning onto his back. The question was whether or not Plagg had had a point. Sure, he cared for Marinette greatly, thought she was amazing, had been heartbroken when he thought she didn't like him and desperately wanted to stay her friend but love? It was impossible not to love her now. He always had even if he hadn't known it was her. Maybe that was ok. He knew one thing for sure. He was even more enamored than before. He finally knew his lady and understood her better. He smiled again. 

Marinette. 


	2. Coming clean

Adrien had eventually managed to fall asleep. Only it hadn't been nearly as restful as he would have hoped. His dreams were of past akuma fights with Ladybug as her civilian self instead. He had kept trying to get her out of danger, making them lose every time. He groaned as he pried himself up from his bed.

"Maybe we should stay home today." Plagg eyed him wearily. 

He had school today. With Marinette. Ladybug. Butterflies were having a field day in the pit of his stomach. Staying home and dwelling over everything would just make it worse. He had to face her at some point. 

"No, let's go." He got changed and opted to have breakfast on the go. He didn't think he could stomach any food right now but maybe later his need for food would kick the butterflies out. If Nathalie or his bodyguard had picked up on his nerves neither said anything. Earlier than usual, he was being dropped off at the front of the school. Deep breaths. Marinette didn't know that he knew who she was and she didn't know he was Cat Noir. This was going to be a normal day. He stepped out of the car, eyeing both sides of the school, checking if Marinette was anywhere around. The coast was clear. He made straight for his locker, trying to act normal. 

"Hey dude." Nino's voice made him jump. He quickly scanned the locker bay, ensuring Alya and Marinette weren't with him. They weren't. Adrien shook himself. Be normal. 

"You ok? You don't look so good bro."

"Yeah. I'm fine. Just tired. I didn't sleep well last night." That was true enough. 

"Would you be up to a video game night with me and the girls today?" 

Hang out with Marinette? Tonight? He wanted to desperately but also wanted to run away. Maybe he couldn't do this. Maybe he wasn't ready after all.

"You really don't look so good Adrien." Nino looked concerned. 

"My stomach doesn't feel very good to be honest." His nerves were increasing by the second. 

"Alright, let's wait and see how you feel later today. Or do you think you should go home?"

He had already decided he was going to face the day. So much for acting normal. Maybe being sick would be the perfect cover. 

"Hey Alya! Don't get too close, Adrien has some kind of stomach bug." 

Adrien's muscles seized up. If Alya was here… he turned to face the direction Nino was looking. Sure enough, Marinette was next to her. Her eyes full of concern, for him. It reminded him of the time he had sacrificed himself to a swarm of kissing zombies to give her more time to save Paris. He couldn't look at Marinette without noticing how very Ladybug she was. Had she always held herself that way and looked at him with those eyes? His knees nearly gave way. 

"I guess that means you're not joining our video game fest," Alya said matter of factly. 

Marinette was starting to shift under his stare. Right. Act normale. He cleared his dry throat and looked away. "I… uh…" Darn. He had always been shy around Ladybug as Adrien but this was next level. 

"Maybe he'll feel better after lunch," Nino repeated his sentiment for him.

"Maybe he should go home." Alya eyed him, leaning away and looking concerned as well. 

"No, it's ok. I'm sure it'll pass." He hoped. If he didn't look directly at Marinette then he could talk. 

The first warning bell rang and the two girls turned around to get to class. Adrien grabbed his stuff and followed them, noticing Marinette's walk and form. That was Ladybug's strut for sure. He blushed and looked away, hoping no one had noticed his starring. At least he sat in front of her in class. She wouldn't distract him there.  
He spent the moments before class with his head down, calming himself and trying very hard to ignore the very Ladybug giggles behind him. He was nearly composed when the bell rang again, indicating the beginning of class.

"You'll start working on your projects today. The predetermined groups of three are written on the board." Ms. Bustier told the class without much further explanation. Right, the play project. They had to act out a scene from one of the books they had read and analyze it. He looked at the board. His name was paired with those of Chloe and Marinette. He sunk in his chair. Could he do this? 

"Ms. Bustier! I'm always on a team with Sabrina, can't we have her instead of Marinette." Chloe protested. 

Adrien didn't know what to hope for more. 

"I can work with Marinette and Adrien if Chloe wants to work with Sabrina!" Lila piped up. 

He definitely didn't want that.

"No changes. It's time you all learned how to work in teams with people you aren't accustomed to."

Adrien breathed a sigh of relief. Ok, he could do this. Be normal Agreste. Act as nothing has changed. 

"Good luck girl." He heard Alya whisper to Marinette. 

"Thanks, I'm going to need it."

Marinette was probably no doubt less than thrilled with the team. She and Chloe still didn't get along. He gave a small laugh. If only Chloe knew who Marinette really was. Chloe walked over and took Nino's seat, facing him and ignoring Marinette. He turned to face both of them and caught Marinette rolling her eyes. He suppressed a smile. Well, that answered why Ladybug had never liked Chloe. He wondered why she had even given her the bee miraculous on purpose on, not one, but two occasions given their feud. 

"Don't worry Adrikens. I have the project already mapped out. We'll do Romeo and Juliet. The tragic final scene and Marinette can narrate and talk about all that literary stuff."

"We didn't read Romeo and Juliet in class Chloe. We need to pick a book we covered. Maybe something by Jules Verne." Marinette argued, looking much the same as when she was staring down an akuma. Adrien could basically see the way her mask would have scrunched up with her face. 

Chloe scoffed and looked away. "Jules Verne is so boring. It's all descriptions."

"Do you have another idea then? One that fits the actual project."

"What about Victor Hugo? We read part of Les Misérables at the beginning of the term." Adrien suggested. 

"Oh yes! Let's do the scene between Cosette and Marius. Brilliant idea!" Chloe was immediately on board.

Marinette looked like she wanted to gag. Adrien muffled a laugh. She was so adorable.

"How about a scene with some more themes to explore?" Adrien offered. He didn't want to discuss romance today. The butterflies in his stomach were still going haywire. 

"How about Valjean's turning point?" Marinette suggested, already writing it down. Adrien couldn’t help but smile as she already started to write down some themes and ideas. She had Ladybug’s stubbornness too. He probably shouldn't keep getting surprised by how similar Marinette was to her alter-ego. 

“Whatever.” Chloe leaned back. 

Marinette continued to write down some ideas. 

“We could spin it like a hero’s origin story.” Adrien offered, eager to participate and support Marinette. 

Marinette paused to look up. “That’s brilliant. He is the story’s hero in the end.”

“I can be the hero.” Chloe perked up. “I’m one in real life after all.” She flipped her hair. 

Adrien laughed before trying to cover it up with a cough. Here they were, three real heroes only he was the only one who knew it. 

“You helped Ladybug three times.” Marinette rolled her eyes. 

“And how many times have you helped her?” Chloe shot back. 

Marinette bit her lip and Adrien had to do the same. If she only knew...

“I think we’re getting off track.” Adrien cut in. Both girls fumed silently as he and Marinette wrote down more ideas. A crashing sound outside had him whipping around. The students on that side were rushing to the window.

“Look! It’s an akuma!” Sabrina yelled. 

Adrien’s heart sank as he watched Marinette in the corner of his eye. Her muscles tensed and she was already putting her pencil down. 

“Is that a walking tree?” Alya asked, incredulous. 

Marinette got up and snuck out of the class. Adrien followed suit, taking a deep breath as he found a spot to transform. There was nothing to worry about. He would fight alongside Marinette like hundreds of times before. And only if there was time would he tell her the truth of what had happened the previous day. He jumped out of a nearby window and raced towards the akuma victim. It indeed looked like a walking tree with his long legs and twisted branches arms that wrapped around objects and destroyed them. 

Ladybug was next to him in seconds. “Forgot to cut the weeds again?” Ladybug joked. 

Cat Noir swallowed. He wasn’t sure he could be his Cat Noir self knowing it was Marinette. She didn’t know he knew, he reminded himself. Not yet. 

“Sorry m’lady. I forgot how _unpoplar_ they were with you.” Not one of his bests but Ladybug gave a small smile anyway. 

“Do you see where the akuma might be?” She asked more seriously. 

He scanned the large walking tree. “There seems to be something in his...pocket?” He pointed out noticing some piece of paper stuck in the side of the tree's hip.

“Good eye Kitty.” She shot him a brilliant smile. Marinette didn’t look at anyone that way. That look seemed to be from Ladybug to Cat Noir exclusively. A surge of pleasure had him smirking after her. He engaged the villain, kicking and pushing him so that Ladybug could swing her yoyo around the tree's legs, causing the villain to fall. Cat Noir grabbed the piece of paper that he now recognized as a pamphlet and ripped it in two. The akuma flew out and he watched as the victim reverted back to his civilian self. She was a tall skinny woman with the largest glasses he had ever seen, wearing a tree hugger t-shirt. Well that fit. 

Ladybug recollected her yoyo and lashed out to grab the akuma. Well, that was easy. He helped the victim up. 

“You ok?” He asked. 

“Oh no. What time is it?” She glanced at her watch. “Great now I’m going to be late.” The women ran off. Cat Noir raised an eyebrow. Well ok then. 

“That was fast. I didn’t even call my lucky charm.” She looked uneasily at the trail of destruction. “I guess I just call for it now?” She was about to throw her yoyo in the air. 

“Wait.” He grabbed her arm. “There’s something I need to talk to you about before we fix things and you run off.”

Ladybug searched his eyes no doubt trying to figure out what it could be. The noise of traffic and honking drew her attention away. “Tell you what. I’ll fix up the roads and then you can have five minutes of my time.”

Cat Noir let go and nodded. The five minutes really wouldn’t matter anymore anyway.

Ladybug threw her yoyo and called for her lucky charm. It was a small crystal ladybug. That was cute. Ladybug didn’t hesitate to throw it in the air and cue her magical ladybugs. 

“Alright, let’s at least go somewhere with a good getaway.” She swung towards a nearby roof. Cat Noir followed easily, taking deep breaths to calm his nerves. What was he even going to say? 

Ladybug stopped and turned to face him. He gave himself a few extra seconds to think by walking up to her.

"So what did you need to tell me?" She asked expectantly.

"It's about yesterday." He avoided her eyes and stared at the corner of the rooftop instead. "I want you to know I didn't mean to. It all happened so fast. I saw you were about to transform back and so I made sure to keep Timefly's focus on me but then I was facing your direction and the flash caught my eye and it was only for a second but…" he forced himself to look at her. Her body was tense. 

"But?" She prompted him.

"I saw you." He said quickly. "I know who you are." He looked down. Ladybug froze. He could see the fight or flight instinct everywhere on her body. "I'm sorry. I really didn't mean to look. It was a split second and then you were out of sight but it was enough to break whatever kwami magic keeps our identities secret."

"You know who I am," Ladybug repeated. She started pacing. "Maybe you just think you know. Who am I?" She stopped and faced him; expectantly, almost defiant. Gosh, he really wanted to kiss her.

He took another deep breath. Last part. He could do this. "Hey, Princess." He smiled sadly at her.

To her credit, she didn't react. "I'm not a princess." 

Cat Noir rolled his eyes. "You know I mean my nickname for you "

"For all I know, you call every girl that."

That stung. "Nope. Just you, Marinette." He searched her eyes for a reaction. He could see the mild panic. "I promise you, I'll never tell a soul." He grabbed her hands. "I just wanted you to know."

Ladybug nodded, eyes still panicky.

"If you want, I can tell you who I am." He blurted. Was he even ready to do that? He hadn't been shy about his feelings as Cat Noir. If she knew he was Adrien, would it impact their civilian relationship? Despite the worry, he wanted her to know. He stood straighter, ready to drop his transformation.

"No! It's still too dangerous. If you get akumatized I could be in serious trouble. You wouldn't be able to control what you would tell Hawk Moth. This is serious."

He should have known she'd say that. 

"I'd fight him. To the best of my capabilities, I'll do whatever I can to ensure that doesn't happen.

"I know you would Kitty." She cupped his cheek. "But let's limit the damage. What's done is done and I know you didn't mean to but you can't reveal yourself to me." She dropped her hand. "I should inform Master Fu." Her earrings beeped. "I'll talk to you later tonight ok. I think I need to process all this." 

Cat Noir nodded, feeling helpless. "I am sorry."

"I know."

"This won't change anything."

Her eyes seemed to search his for something. "I better go." She said sadly. He hated that he had clearly disappointed her. She turned and lept off the roof, swinging herself away. He turned to head back to the school, trying his best not to think about what Marinette was thinking.


	3. Hope finds a way

Ladybug dropped into an alleyway and let her transformation drop. She was a block away from Master Fu's. She'd have to come up with an excuse for why she had disappeared from class but for now, she really needed to think out the implications of Cat Noir's confession.

"Are you alright Marinette?" Her kwami asked. 

"I don't know Tikki." That's why she needed Master Fu's opinion. She headed into the street and speed walked to his parlor. "Master Fu?" She called, heading towards his healing room. Thankfully he wasn't with a client and was simply sitting, eyes closed with some tea. 

"Is everything alright Ladybug?"

She told him everything. If he was surprised or concerned he didn't show it. 

"I see." He simply said when she was done. "And is your only fear what would happen if Cat Noir were to become vulnerable to Hawk Moth or is there more?"

"More? Isn't that worry enough!? Can I even still be Ladybug?" She looked away. This had been her greatest fear. 

"What do you think you should do?"

Marinette paused to think about it. She looked at Tikki with sad eyes. "I don't want to give it up."

"Do you feel you should?" He gave no hint of what he thought. 

She started to get angry at Cat Noir. Stupid curious cat. This was all his fault. But as long as he kept his promise, she'd be safe. Maybe, for now, it would be ok...

Master Fu smiled as if knowing her thoughts. "Do you trust Cat Noir?"

"Yes." She believed him when he said it had been an accident. It had been her fault really. She hadn't been far enough. Really she was angry with her own mistake. She was lucky no one else had seen her. Lucky Cat Noir had the sense to make sure the akuma victim didn't have a chance to see her.

"I also believe Cat Noir will keep his promise. Love is a strong shield."

If he still loved her that was. She looked away. cat Noir had said nothing would change but now that she wasn't just Ladybug... Now that he knew she was Marinette, someone he had turned down,- Wait.   
He had turned her down because she had told him that she loved him. Did he think she was secretly in love with him now? He would become insufferable if that were the case. That or his new knowledge would change his feelings. Her heart sank at the thought before she internally kicked herself. It would be best if he did move on. She loved Adrien. She would need to clear some things up with Cat Noir. Make sure he knew where she stood.

"Was there anything else Ladybug?"

She shook her head. This was now between her and Cat Noir. 

Marinette left and jogged back to the school. She had been gone too long for a washroom excuse. But if people hadn't noticed her absence until the end of the akuma attack then maybe it would still work. She peeked into the classroom. Everyone was back in their teams working on their projects. Once the teacher was helping another group she slipped in and took her seat. Chloe was filling her nails while Adrien was writing ideas down. 

"Marinette, you're back!" Adrien smiled up at her and looked at her closely. Her heart fluttered. He'd been doing that a lot today. 

"Yeah sorry, bathroom." She avoided his stare. He seemed to be holding back a laugh. Why was he looking at her that way?

"Well, we've made some progress in your absence." He gave her the sheet he was writing on. She glanced at Chloe. She was pretty sure Adrien had been the only one working. "Maybe we could meet up to finish it tonight." 

Marinette took a deep breath in an attempt to slow her now racing heart. Be cool. they would just be working on homework. "S-sure." She said, making Adrien smile. "I'll postpone the video game night with Alya and Nino."

"I can't tonight." Chloe pipped in. So she was listening to them at least. "Why don't you guys finish it up and I'll edit it."

More like she'd get Sabrina to edit it, if even that. She didn't want to hang out with Chloe anyway. Now it would be just her and Adrien! Her day was improving greatly only… she had told Cat Noir they would talk tonight and that was a conversation that needed to happen sooner rather than later. She watched Adrien sigh at Chloe. 

"Suit yourself. Looks like it'll just be you and me." He winked at her. Her heart pounded. Cat Noir could wait until Adrien left. 

"Can you come to the bakery after school?" Marinette asked, perhaps asking the question a little too quickly.

Adrien's face lit up. "Sounds great!" 

The bell rang indicating break. Marinette scanned the room for her best friend. Alya was in the back row with Juleka and Ivan. 

Marinette practically skipped towards her excited to tell her the news. Alya was in no way disappointed to postpone their video game night. 

*****

“Thanks for the food, Mrs. Cheng,” Adrien said in between bites of croissants. 

“I haven’t seen someone enjoy our pastries this much since Cat Noir was here!” Mr. Dupain laughed. 

Oops. “Cat Noir eats here? Cool.” He hoped he sounded casual.

“Well, it was really just that one time, eh Marinette?” He nudged his daughter who looked panicked. Adrien suppressed a chuckle. 

“Tom, we should probably leave the kids to their school work.” Mrs. Cheng smiled at her husband. They had called them for dinner about thirty minutes ago which had been a very welcomed break. He wondered if he could grab another desert.

"So what was Cat Noir doing in your family's bakery?" He couldn't resist the chance to hear what she thought of him. 

"Nothing." She quickly answered. "I mean. My parents invited him over and he accepted. That's all."

He supposed that was one way to describe it.

"That's nice of them." 

"Yeah." She squirmed and grabbed her tablet, clearly wanting to get back to their school work. 

"Why didn't they invite Ladybug too?" He asked, cleaning his hands on his napkin before grabbing his own tablet. 

"She wasn't around." She didn’t look up. Adrien allowed himself a smile. He quite clearly remembered Ladybug being right there actually. He chuckled before clearing his throat.

"Weird. Those two always seemed joined at the hip." Or so he dreamed. 

"Hardly." Marinette scoffed. "I mean. Not always. He just happened to be on my roof after having defeated the supervillain that had destroyed our house."

Adrien had to admire how she managed to paint a very different picture without telling a single lie. Then again she had to lie about her life as ladybug a lot. 

"What was he doing on your roof?" He pushed, far too fascinated with her reactions to get back to their school work. 

"Uhhh. I'm not sure." She finally looked up. Those eyes. Those alone should have been a giveaway. So expressive, sweet, piercing. He could stare at them all evening… 

She blushed and cleared her throat before looking away. 

“Hum, so how should we approach Valjean’s relationship with the church?” Marinette focused on her tablet, apparently trying to make herself smaller. 

Straight to business. His Lady through and through. Adrien straightened himself and focused on his tablet. “We should definitely focus on his relationship with the Bishop,” Adrien replied. He was looking up the appropriate part of the book without really reading it. He was too busy eyeing Marinette in the corner of his eye. He had found himself doing this all afternoon. He managed to contribute an idea here and there but truth be told, they weren’t getting very far. He had clearly been making her nervous earlier in the evening so he had tried very hard to focus but now he was right back to observing every little thing about her. Like right now, her face was scrunched in concentration at whatever was on her screen and she pursed her lips. Identical to her ‘what am I going to do with this?’ look when she got her lucky charm. He found himself leaning slightly towards her.

He shook himself and tried to focus. In the corner of his eye, Marinette was typing away with her delicate fingers. He had always wanted to hold Ladybug’s hand. Feel her real skin. Would they feel as soft as they looked or would there be calluses that would betray her sewing? 

Focus Adrien. The bishop had given Jean Valjean his second chance and- Marinette yawned and stretched in his peripheral, her muscles tensing slightly. He gulped before yawning himself. 

Marinette gave him a sympathetic look. 

"I guess it's getting late.” He said, smiling at her. “Maybe we should finish working on this tomorrow.” Because he really wasn’t getting anywhere tonight. Besides, he wanted to see her again tomorrow evening. Finishing the project too soon would be counterproductive.

"Y-yeah! Sure.” She smiled at him. It wasn’t a full smile. Almost a shy one. She hadn’t been shy long around Cat Noir. He wondered how long it would take for them to become just as close or hopefully closer. 

“I guess I should head home.” He didn’t want to leave but he didn’t want to impose too long. 

Marinette eyed the clock and her eyes went wide at the time. She had told him, the Cat Noir him, that they would talk tonight. Was she thinking of him? They both got up and she walked him to the front door. 

He wanted to kiss her goodnight but obviously that wasn’t going to happen. They didn’t ever hug goodbye so instead, he opted for a small wave and a goodnight as he exited. She smiled and waved back wishing him goodnight as well. She looked beautiful with the moonlight on her skin. 

He walked a few buildings down before turning around, eyeing Marinette's balcony. Another tempting opportunity presented itself. "Plagg, claws out!" They had sort of made plans to talk after all. 

He landed on Marinette's balcony and knocked on her trap door. He hoped she had gone to her room. He was about to try the window when the door opened. 

"What are you doing here?" She asked surprised. 

"Hey Bugaboo. Nice to see you too."

"You shouldn't call me that." She looked around nervously. "You could end up using the wrong name at the wrong time." She walked out onto her roof.

"Sorry, m'la- Marinette." He offered her his hand to help her up, pleased when she accepted it. "So do you need more time to process?" He asked.

Marinette shook her head but seemed worried. She walked over to the rail and leaned against it. Eyes on the horizon and the darkening sky. 

"What's wrong?" He asked, joining her side, careful to give her space if she needed it.

She worried at her lip as if deciding how much to share. 

"You can trust me you know."

"I know. I do. That's why I still have my miraculous." She smiled at him. 

He froze. Had that been a possibility? 

"Master Fu says that unless something happens we should be ok."

He would have hated himself for eternity if he had caused Paris to lose its number one hero. "I didn't realize you were worried about that."

"You can't doubt my trust in you now." She said teasingly but he could sense the seriousness of it. 

"I'm ashamed I ever did." 

She looked away. "Something else is bothering you." He pointed out.

She sighed. "Honestly. I'm worried about how you're handling this."

He blinked. "What do you mean?"

She blushed. "You know…you viewed Ladybug a certain way and Marinette another… and you say nothing is going to change but…" she avoided his gaze. 

"Why would things change?"

"Don't you see me differently now?" She challenged, her eyes piercing into his. 

He considered her words. Did he? He felt like he was seeing her clearer than ever and he was finding himself fascinated by the small differences and the overwhelming similarities in her two personas. It was like getting to know her all over again but deeper and better. "I see all of you now." He answered simply. 

"That counts as different." She held herself, playing with her sleeve, no longer quite looking him in the eye. 

"Is that so bad?" He asked frowning. "I know now that you're even more amazing than I had thought." She looked up at him again. "That you're kind, brave and determined outside the mask just as much as under it." She blushed. "That it seems so obvious now that you are one and the same that I can't believe I missed it. I feel like an idiot for having turned you down when you told me you loved me as Marinette." He enjoyed the momentary panic that caused. He laughed. "Don't worry. I'm guessing you had just transformed back and had panicked."

Marinette immediately relaxed. 

"My first time being confessed to and it was all a lie." He pretended to stab a knife in his heart dramatically. 

"Sorry, Kitty." She looked truly apologetic. 

"It's ok. I understand. Although I admit when I first found out, part of me hoped you weren't fully lying." He tested the waters. Her sad eyes told him enough though. "There's still that other guy I guess."

"Does it matter?" She asked uncertainly.

What did that mean? He stared at her confused trying to figure out what she meant. 

"I mean. You don't love me."

She might as well have punched him in the heart. He gaped at her. 

"What! Why would you think I didn't love you?" If anything was clear about all this it was that very fact. 

"Well, you loved Ladybug. But like you said you rejected me, Marinette me." She said matter of factly. 

"But you are Ladybug." He said confused. 

"But I'm also Marinette."

"Who's Ladybug. And Ladybug is you." He repeated. "I just see it now whereas before I couldn't love beyond what I knew for sure. I was so focused on Ladybug I wouldn’t allow myself to feel anything for anyone else. But now that I know it’s you and everything is just so clear... If anything I love you more now. I see all of you now." He grasped her hand. 

It was Marinette's turn to blink. "But-"

"I'm not looking for you to reciprocate. I know you love someone else." He let her go. "I just want you to know I still feel the same about you, should you ever change your mind." He winked. 

She giggled. "Silly Kitty." Man, he loved it when she called him that. He smiled at her, wanting nothing more than to scoop her up and never let go. 

"So can I know who my competition is at least? Seeing as how the cats out of the bag in a manner of speaking." He asked instead. 

She rolled her eyes. 

"I saw a blond guy leave earlier. Was it him?" He had meant it as a tease so she would laugh and tell him who her crush really was. He had a suspicion it was Luka but she had been heartbroken about a guy before meeting the guitarist so there may be someone else. So when Marinette froze and blushed while stumbling over a reply he was surprised. 

"I - he - Adrien was just here to work on a school project." She blushed even more, nervously playing with her hands and looking far too intently at them. 

The nervousness, the fact that she didn’t answer him, the fact that she was different with Adrien than Cat Noir. She couldn’t possibly - Could he be so lucky that- There was no way… was there?

"Do you like him?" He blurted out. Far too eager to know the answer. 

"If I tell you who I like… you're not going to go challenge them to a duel or something right?"

"Of course not. Cat's honor." Besides, If it was him she liked then he wouldn't have to. His heart was beating so fast it was a wonder she couldn't hear it. She still seemed hesitant to answer him. His body tensed as he watched her decide how much she would tell him. He didn’t dare say anything else. 

A ringtone broke the silence between them. 

"Sorry." Marinette quickly pulled out her phone. 

"Do you need to get that?" He asked, his heart lurching at the broken moment. 

She slid the phone screen to hang up and put the phone away. "It’s my friend Alya. I can call her later. But it's getting late and I should get some rest."

As he feared, it looked like he wasn't going to get an answer to his question. "Goodnight Princess." He grabbed her hand to kiss it enjoying the blush it caused to appear on her face.

"Get home safe Cat Noir. I'll see you around." He waited until she was safely in her room before catapulting away. He didn't go straight home. He was too hyped up from the possibility of Marinette liking him. He could be wrong, he tried to calm himself. She could very well like Luka and not him but the very thought of the possibility… maybe Plagg had been right. He hadn't won over Ladybug as Cat Noir but maybe Adrien could.   
Worst case, at least he could get to know her better. He rarely hung out with just Marinette but it was definitely time to change that. Only he couldn't scare her off by being too intense. No declarations of love. He wouldn't even call it a date. He would just ask her to hang out with him and take it from there. Hopefully, she would give him that chance, and then maybe, with time, something more. 

He leaped home, practically flying. He had a second chance to win her over and he wasn’t going to mess it up.


	4. The spark

"Hey, Marinette." He greeted her at her locker the next morning, making her jump. 

"Hi, A-Adrien."

Adrien jumped at her above-average tone. Right. Marinette was jumpy without Ladybug's enhanced senses. He took a small step back. "I uh, sent the project to Chloe to finish up." He had thought about it last night and he figured doing homework wasn't the most romantic activity to get her to fall in love with him. "So I was thinking instead of meeting up at your place to do homework we could go to the fair instead." He held his breath. Not too romantic, people around so she would feel comfortable, fun enough that she would hopefully be unlikely to say no…

"The fair? You and me? Just the two of us?" She asked as if it was the most surprising news in the world.

"Only if you want.” He was quick to reply. “I've never been and since my dad already gave me permission to be out of the house today, I was hoping a friend could show me around." The whole 'I've never been' had gotten her to tag along with him in the past. He hoped it would work here. She had a very kind heart after all and the truth was that he really had never been and had been wanting to go for a while. 

"Ok." She squeaked. 

Adrien tried not to grin too hard. "Awesome! My driver will take us there after school. Thanks, Marinette!" He walked away before he got too happy and scared her off. Once around the corner, he allowed a full grin to fill his face. She had said yes! Already things were going better than his attempts as Cat Noir. Today was going to be a good day.

*****

Ohmigod ohmigod ohmigod. Marinette watched Adrien walk away. She was going to spend all evening with Adrien at the fair! He had asked her and just her.

"Tikki. Am I dreaming?" She asked in a low voice, turning back to her locker. 

"No, but I can pinch you if you like." Tikki giggled from the opening in her purse. 

"I have to tell Alya!" Tikki hid and Marinette rushed to try and find her friend. She was practically floating when she spotted her by the stairs with Nino. 

"Hey, girl. You seem in a good mood." Alya greeted her. 

"You won't believe what just happened!" 

Alya gave Nino a look to which he smiled and left the girls alone. 

Marinette was practically jumping until Nino was out of earshot and she gushed everything out. 

"No way! That's awesome!" Alya cheered. "So is this like a date or…"

Marinette blinked. "I… I don't think so. He said he needed a friend…" her heart went double time at the possibility of a date with Adrien. One thing at a time. She would have combusted if he had asked her out on a date. 

"Well, this is still great! You need to tell me all about it tonight! And no sending me to voicemail like last night!" 

Marinette laughed. "I told you. He hadn't left yet what else was I supposed to do!" She had called her friend immediately after Cat Noir had left to tell her about her evening with Adrien. 

Cat Noir. Marinette tried to suppress the memory. He had confessed his feelings for her again last night. Marinette her, not Ladybug her. He had said he loved her even more knowing her other side. She blushed and pushed the memory away. There was no point dwelling on her maybe feelings for Cat Noir. She liked Adrien and tonight they would hang out just the two of them. 

"I'm almost tempted to go to the fair myself and watch the whole thing." Alya teased. "But I don't want to risk Adrien spotting us and turning your date into a double." 

"I told you it's not a date," Marinette replied, mostly for her own benefit. She had to stay cool if she didn’t want to mess this up. 

“Not yet.” Alya gave her a knowing look to which Marinette giggled. She was going to be completely useless all day. 

*****

When Adrien got to class there weren't many other students there. He sat alone hoping Marinette would come in shortly after. He had managed to calm his glee since her acceptance and wanted to talk to her some more. 

"Hey, Adrikens!" Chloe walked in. "I got your email. I see the project needs more work. Maybe you can come over to help me wrap it up." She leaned on his desk smiling sweetly.

"Sorry Clo, I have plans. Besides, Marinette and I did our share of the work yesterday." 

Chloe scoffed. "Can't you reschedule your plans?" 

"Sorry, not this time."

"Why? What's so important?"

Marinette finally walked in with Alya. Adrien couldn't help it, he gave her a bright smile. Marinette nearly tripped over her feet and Alya had to stabilize her. Marinette looked away, her face red with embarrassment. Adrien suppressed a laugh. Gosh, how had he not fallen for her earlier? If he hadn’t fallen in love with Ladybug first, he had no doubt he would have developed a crush on his classmate. Marinette sat behind him. Now he just needed to think of something to talk to her about. 

"Hello!" Chloe waved a hand in front of him. Right, she had asked him a question.

He cleared his throat. "How about we help you finish the project tomorrow after you've done your part?" He turned to face Marinette. "Would you be up for that Marinette?"

Chloe huffed. "Nevermind, I'll do it myself. I don't need her help." She raised her chin and went back to her desk. 

Adrien gave Marinette an apologetic look. "We should probably get together anyway." He voiced, eyes widening once the words replayed in his mind. Marinette froze in front of him. "I mean to work! On the project. Once Chloe sends us her part." Adrien winced. Real smooth Agreste. 

Marinette simply nodded. Alright here was his chance, he should start a new conversation.

"Hey bro!" Nino sat next to him. "Are we finally going to do our video game night tonight? Unless you need to work on your project again..."

If he brought up his plans with Marinette then would he have to invite Nino too? He didn't want to potentially lose his private time with Marinette...

"Weren't you and I going to play that new mega strike game tonight? Alone?" Alya starred her boyfriend down. Adrien wanted to high five her. 

"Oh ok.” He looked confused but then gave him an apologetic look that said ‘what's a guy to do right?’. “Rain check?"

"You bet." Adrien smiled, relieved. "I'm warning you though. I've learned some tricks from Marinette." He turned to face her. "How did you do that one move on our last game again?" He asked her. 

"A lot of good that'll do you. The new game has completely different moves!" Nino interrupted right before the final bell indicating class had started. Adrien suppressed his frustration. It was fine. He would have all evening to talk with Marinette. 

*****

"Woah this is awesome! I didn't know Jagged Stone was performing tonight." Adrien smiled at the poster in front of them. They had been walking around the fair, getting on some of the cooler looking rides. "That's your artwork, isn't it? It looks a bit like the cover you designed."

Marinette nodded shyly. 

"I remember how you said you always sign your name on your work. Where is it on this one?"

Marinette blushed. "In the mist on the side." She pointed. "You have to tilt your head to the right."

Adrien did as she said and indeed there was her name. When had she had the time to do this? "That's awesome. I never would have seen it otherwise. You're really talented." He enjoyed her blush again. "It's so cool that you're basically Jagged's personal designer. I hope he pays you."

Marinette laughed. "I would have done it for free but yeah, my parents have put it in a college fund for me."

"What are you planning on studying?" He jumped on the topic. 

"I'd really like to go to a designer school but it's a really competitive program."

"You'll get in no problem! Even my dad thinks you're talented."

Marinette blushed once again before putting the focus back on him. "What about you? What do you want to do for college?"

He hadn't really thought of it. His father had once suggested business school so he could start his own company one day but that didn't really appeal to him. Not with how busy his father always seemed. He wanted more out of life than work. He wanted time for his family as well as time to be Cat Noir. Although if he got his way his time as Cat Noir could also be family time. He wondered how that would work if they ever had kids…  
Baby steps. Adrien reminded himself. You need Marinette to actually fall in love with you first. 

Adrien cleared his throat. "I'm not sure yet." He answered lamely. "Hey, do you want to go on the ferris wheel?" Adrien changed the topic. 

"Sure." They walked over to the ride. The line was short and they made it on just in time for the sunset. Perfect romantic moment. 

"It's so beautiful." Marinette sighed as the ride brought them nearly to the top. The sky was full of color and the city was starting to light up as well. Soon they would light up the Eiffel tower too. Maybe by their next rotation. Adrien contemplated taking Marinette's hand. They've held hands before while dancing but this would be different. How would Marinette react? This wasn't an official date. Maybe he should wait for that. 

The ride abruptly came to a stop when they were still several feet from the ground. All the lights around them went dark. A power outage?

A cackling laugh and some blue lighting caught his eye from a few rides over. A blue-clad man with blue electricity bolts coursing over his body lighting him up threw a bolt at one of the smaller rides as he walked their way. An akuma attack? Now?  
Adrien suppressed a groan. He needed to get off this ride as did his lady and so he was quite confident that she would agree to his next suggestion. 

"We're not too far from the ground. We should get out of here until Ladybug and Cat Noir handle him."

"What about everyone else?" She looked up at the cabins above them. 

"I'm sure Paris' superheroes can handle it." He was already trying to come up with a plan just like he was guessing she was. "Come on." Adrien opened the door and let himself hang over the side before letting himself fall to the ground. Marinette followed suit and he caught her on her fall. 

"Thanks." she turned to him and smiled.

He froze, noticing just how close she was. How close her mouth was. If he leaned in just a few inches… another bolt of electricity hit even closer than the last. Right. Akuma attack. "No problem." He put her down. "Let's get out of here." He grabbed her hand and ran in the opposite direction of the supervillain. Now, where to transform and how to get separated so Marinette could do the same?

"Can you run to the car? I'll go find my driver." The gorilla had actually left with the car and would pick them up when he called but that didn't matter. Marinette would no doubt grasp the opportunity to be alone. She held his hand tighter. 

"You'll keep yourself safe right?" She asked him, eyes full of concern. 

He gave her a soft look, his heart melting at her worry for him. "I'll be ok. I'll be back before you know it!" He let go of her hand and ran, looking back a few seconds later to see that Marinette had disappeared. Ducking in between two arcade game tents, Adrien hid. "Plagg claws out!" He ran back out towards the akuma victim. His number one priority was to draw his attention away from the crowds. Maybe they could lure him into the far less crowded park nearby. 

"Looks like this guy needs his breaker flipped." Ladybug landed next to him. 

Cat Noir grinned at her. Long time, no see. "Don't worry, there's enough electricity between us to overpower him m'lady." It was cheesy but it also earned him a smile that Ladybug was clearly trying hard to hide. 

"Let's draw him away from the crowd. Come on." She ran in the direction of the park.

"Hey, sparky!" He called out to the supervillain. "Looking for me?"

"I am Electro!" Real original. Then again he hadn't strained any brain cells coming up with his own superhero name. "I demand you hand over your miraculous or I'll fry all of Paris." Electro let out an over the top evil laugh. 

"Any thoughts on where his akuma might be?" He asked Ladybug as Electro ran after them. At least that part of their plan was working. 

"The electricity seems to be coming from a watch on his right wrist. I bet that's where it is." 

Cat Noir chanced a look back. She was right, the streams of electric bolts seemed to congregate there. 

"How strong do you think those bolts are?" 

"I think we shouldn't test it out." Electro shot a lightning bolt in their direction and Cat Noir pushed himself and Ladybug out of the way. The bolt hit a tree, starting a fire. 

"Ok. No touching the lightning man. Any ideas?"

"We need to cut off his current somehow. Lucky charm!" She threw her yoyo in the air and got a jar of honey.

"How sweet of you." 

Ladybug tucked it under an arm. Eyes darting around her as she tried to piece a plan together. Electro had gained up on them and was getting more and more charged before releasing another bolt. Cat Noir ducked out of the way. Electro had a lot less electric currents wrapping themselves around him right after having released the charge. 

"I think he needs to build a charge between bolts!" He yelled to Ladybug. 

"Then let's not let him!" She threw the jar of honey on the ground in front of Electro causing it to smash open. She pulled a nearby lamppost from the ground. Sticking it closer to Electro who was now stuck in the honey. She pushed it towards Electro and then ran towards Cat Noir. "That should ground him." She looked back at the lamppost that had fallen onto Electro and was now conducting energy away and into the ground. 

"Nice going m'lady. Is it safe to get near him?" He still had lines of blue electricity coming out of his watch. 

"I hope so.”

"You hope?" He didn't like the sound of that. 

"Once you've destroyed his watch with your cataclysm, the currant should stop."

Right. Here went nothing. "Cataclysm!" He ran towards Electro, aiming for his watch. He reached his mark but not without getting a shock of electricity. It was short but it had kick. Cat Noir felt the painful jolt contracting all his muscles. For a moment he couldn't breathe. He felt like he was burning from the inside but couldn’t scream as his limbs spasmed beyond his control. 

"Cat Noir!" Ladybug rushed over and picked up a piece of the honey jar. "Miraculous Ladybug!" She threw the object and didn't even bother to watch the magical Ladybugs do their thing. She ran towards him. The ladybugs were faster and the pain lifted as they swarmed around him. He gasped for air as his body calmed. 

"Cat Noir! Are you ok?" Ladybug kneeled next to him lifting his chin to check his face. "I'm so sorry! It was my idea and-"

"Ladybug." His voice came out hoarse. He cleared his throat. "The akuma." He pointed to the purple butterfly flying away. 

Ladybug stood up and threw her yoyo after it, successfully capturing it and purifying it. Cat Noir got up, good as new and went over to the victim. He was a lot younger than Cat Noir would have guessed. Maybe about his age. 

"Are you ok?" Cat Noir helped him up. 

"Cat Noir? Where am I? What- oh no. Did I get akumatized?" 

"Don't worry. It's all taken care of now." 

"I don't understand. I was just manning the water pistol booth when this lady started complaining. I didn't think I had gotten that mad." The boy looked down. 

"It's alright. We've all been there. Need a lift back?"

The teenager shook his head. "It's not far and I ratter clear my head. Is- did I hurt anyone?"

"You weren't akumatized long and Ladybug's powers would have taken care of any injuries." 

The boy nodded. He looked in Ladybug's direction and blushed.

"Thank you. To both of you." He didn't quite look Ladybug in the eye. Cat Noir smiled knowingly. Another admire? 

"Anytime. Don't forget you can call the akuma line if you need someone to talk to." Ladybug smiled at him and the boy turned scarlet. He nodded and made his way back to the fair. 

Ladybug's earings beeped. She had three minutes left. She ignored it. "Are you ok?" She eyed him with concern. 

"Just a little stiff as usual but it's sweet of you to check m'lady."

She didn't smile. 

"It was a good plan. It worked, didn't it? And I'm in one piece." He reassured.

Ladybug nodded, seeming unconvinced. 

Cat Noir eyed her uncertainly. He wasn't used to Ladybug getting so upset over his injuries. Then again he was mostly used to being beaten up instead of electrocuted. His own ring beeped as well. He had more time than her but not by much. 

"I guess we should get going." Ladybug said without moving. 

"If you're that concerned, we can stay together. Go to the fair and get something to eat." He leaned towards her smiling. He knew full well that she had already had supper.

Ladybug finally seemed to relax. "Sorry but I need to go meet up with someone."

"The same boy as yesterday?" He couldn't resist. 

Ladybug rolled her eyes. "Wouldn't you like to know." She threw her yoyo in the direction of the fair and swung away. 

Cat Noir chuckled and went to transform back behind a tree before entering the fair again. Marinette would no doubt go to the parking lot. He jogged over to where they had parted ways just as Marinette was walking back from the direction of the parking lot. She was good. 

"Hey! Are you ok?" It's what he would typically have asked after all. "I couldn't find my driver anywhere. I think he may have left. But it seems the danger has passed. I saw Ladybug and Cat Noir lead the villain away.

"Yeah and the power's back." She pointed to the now working ferris wheel. It now seemed very bright with the darkened sky as a backdrop. The sun had fully set and it was getting dark fast.

"Do you think the concert would still be on?"

"Probably." 

He put his hand towards her palm up, taking a chance. "Shall we?"

Marinette giggled and to his glee, took his hand. "Alright." She beamed at him. Her touch made him feel warm inside. He hadn’t had the chance to notice it much earlier when they were fleeing but it was indeed very soft. They walked side by side in comfortable silence to the stage. People were already forming a crowd. 

"You know, a year ago everything would have been shut down after an akuma attack. Now it's as if nothing happened." Adrien pointed out.

"I guess we've gotten used to Paris nearly getting destroyed every other day." Marinette's phone rang. "Oh, that's my mom. Do you mind?" 

Adrien shook his head as Marinette answered. "Hey mama, yes I'm ok. I'm still at the fair. No, I wasn't near the attack." Adrien smiled at that bit. "Jagged stone is still going to do a performance can I stay a bit longer? Yes, Adrien is still here. Yeah, he's ok too."  
He smiled at her mom's concern for him. He checked his phone. No texts or calls of concern for him from anyone. "Thanks, mom. I'll let him know. I love you too." She hung up with a smile. "My mom has a fresh pie for us when you drop me home." 

Adrien's smile grew wide. He would have loved Ladybug no matter who she had turned out to be but her being a baker's daughter was a definite plus. 

The crowd was getting larger and they were being pushed closer together. Thankfully Marinette didn't seem to mind. 

"Hello, Paris!" Jagged walked onto the stage and the crowd erupted. "Given today's events I think it's only fair I start with this one." He started the melody for his Ladybug song. "Thank you Ladybug and Cat Noir!" He started the song. Adrien eyed Marinette in the corner of his eye. He had always wondered what Ladybug had thought of this tribute to her. She blushed and smiled as the crowd joined in. 

"You know what? Maybe the reason people have gotten used to going about their business after an akuma attack is more about the amount of trust they have in their heroes," Adrien said in her ear. 

"Maybe." Marinette agreed with a bright smile.


	5. ...but satisfaction brought him back

Throughout the whole concert, Marinette was distracted by how close Adrien was. She would get pushed by the crowd and they'd end up pressed together. It warmed her in more ways than one. She never wanted the night to end. Once the concert was over, they had talked excitedly about Jagged Stone and their other favorite artists all the way back to her place. They had quite a bit in common. She had served her mom's pie as slowly as she could. Hoping to drag out the night but, it being a school night, Adrien couldn't stay too long. His driver had texted him after only five minutes. 

"I should go." He looked just as unwilling to leave as she was. The possibility warmed her heart. "I had a great time today. We should do it again sometime." 

"Yeah totally!" She replied perhaps too eagerly. She walked him to the door wondering if he meant doing something just the two of them again or the fair. She went to open the door when he turned around as if to say something else making her look up. They were inches apart, and both wore an identical surprised face at the closeness. She could feel her cheeks heat up as she watched the same happen on Adrien's face. 

"I - uh…" Adrien fumbled. Neither moved away. Marinette's breathing quickened as Adrien leaned in. Marinette found herself doing the same, transfixed, heart beating fast. Was this really happening?! His face was getting closer and she closed her eyes, she could feel the warmth of Adrien's face and she could smell his cologne, gosh she loved that smell. She could feel his breath on her skin, his mouth so close. Her own breathing stopped before-

A car honked from the other side of the door. 

The two teenagers jumped apart, faces tomato red. "I should go! I'll uh see you tomorrow?" Adrien snapped back up, looking shocked. 

Marinette didn't trust her words. Adrien Agreste had nearly kissed her. She simply nodded. He had been about to kiss her! 

"Goodnight." He opened the door and nearly ran out. Marinette waved back in a daze. Ohmigod ohmigod ohmigod. He glanced back at her, face red before getting in his car. 

"Did Adrien leave already? Did you guys have a good time?" Her dad walked in.

Marinette jumped and squeaked. "Yeah! Great time. Boy, is it late." She gave an exaggerated yawn. "I better go to bed. Goodnight!" She was already heading upstairs. Once up one flight she ran the rest of the way to her room and immediately called Alya. They had a lot to talk about. 

*****

Adrien sat mortified in the backseat of the car. He had almost kissed Marinette. She was going to kiss him. Did that mean she liked him? Or did he totally mess things up and things were going to be weird tomorrow? He groaned, tossing his head back. He was just turning around to set up another date, potentially a real one this time, but her closeness had evaporated his words. What would he say to her tomorrow? How could he fix this? He didn't want to wait until tomorrow to talk to her. He could call but that felt awkward. Maybe he could visit her as Cat Noir again. Was that too much? He had visited her just the previous night. He would knock and ask if it was ok that he was there again. If she seemed uncomfortable he would leave her be. His decision made, he waited patiently to be driven home just so that he could sneak out and make his way back. Note to self. Next time, arrange the date so he would text his driver to pick him up when it would be more convenient. Wait, next time? Was visiting Ladybug after a date going to become a regular thing now? Them dating had to actually become a thing first before he could address that issue. 

Plagg had complained about his idea but with some very persuading cheese, he had agreed with an eye roll and a comment along the lines of 'hopeless love boy.'

He quietly landed on Marinette's roof and walked to her trap door. 

"No, I didn't imagine it Alya! Adrien was going to kiss me!" He overheard Marinette say. He didn't hear Alya's reply. She must be on the phone. A red alert went off in his head. This was eavesdropping. He should leave and come back when her phone call would be done. 

"He leaned in and closed his eyes and everything." There was a pause as Alya said something. "His driver honked at him." Another breath. "I know! I nearly jumped out of my skin." He needed to go now before he overheard something she wouldn't want him to… only this was exactly what he had hoped to find out through talking with her. "Well, then he kind of just left." Did he imagine it or did she sound disappointed? "But he wants to hang out again. At least I think so. That's a good sign right?" He smiled. Her thinking it was a good sign was a very good sign. "Before the near kiss." Ok. Marinette didn't seem freaked out. That was info enough. He needed to go. "You don't think he'll be freaked out now do you? What if he doesn't like me after all. What if now he knows I like him and pushes me away?" Marinette's voice was getting frantic. He wanted nothing more than to open the door and assure her right there and then that he liked her too. That he far more than liked her. The shock of finding out, with absolute certainty, that she liked him is what helped keep him in place. She liked him. He grinned. That settled it. Tomorrow he would ask her out. He doubted very much he would get any sleep tonight. 

"Yeah, that sounds like a plan." Clearly Alya had managed to calm her nerves. He heard her scoff. "Yeah like I'm going to be able to fall asleep now. My stomach is so filled with butterflies I feel sick." Maybe he should text her something reassuring tonight. "Ok goodnight. See you tomorrow." He heard a chair rolling on her floor. He hesitated, not sure if he should knock now that he had his answers. He now felt guilty for eavesdropping. 

He knocked. He stood up and waited. Marinette soon opened the trap door. "I hope this won't become a nightly habit." She teased. 

"I promised myself I would leave if you wanted me to." He held his breath, letting it out relieved when she shook her head. "No, it's ok. I'm not tired yet. Did you want something?"

What could he say to that? "I have a confession." He could never be dishonest where his kady was concerned, identity aside. "I hum, I was outside your trapdoor for a little while and I overheard part of your conversation on the phone." Marinette froze. He still felt guilty but saying it did help clear his conscience a bit.

"How much did you hear?" She asked calmly. 

"Enough to know I shouldn't have been listening. I'm sorry I broke your trust Marinette."

Marinette took a deep breath. "Thanks for telling me."

"Are you mad at me?" She didn't look angry. 

"No, I just- I mean, are you ok?"

Cat Noir blinked. She wanted to know if he was ok? Right because he had 'found out' who she liked. He didn't deserve her. 

"Yeah, just feeling regretful." She didn't say anything. "So Adrien uh? The guy from yesterday."

"You heard that part too?" She winced. 

"It's my own fault. I'm sorry." His guilty conscience was the only thing allowing for his sad expression. "He seems nice and obviously he likes you too so congratulations I suppose."

Marinette took a tentative step forward. "Are you sure you're ok Cat?"

He put a very real smile on his face. "I'm happy you're happy." And he was very happy. He just couldn't show it. "I just hope this guy is good enough for you. You deserve the best Princess."

Marinette blushed. "So you'll leave him alone right?" 

"Of course m'lady. Your secret is safe with me. I won't eavesdrop again either. I promise."

"Curiosity did kill the cat." She gave him a shy smile.

He smirked at her. "Goodnight Princess." He catapulted away, finally allowing himself to smile fully. She liked him. He wasted no time getting home and threw Plagg a piece of cheese all while already sending Marinette a text.

_Looking forward to seeing you tomorrow._

Simple, not too strong but reassuring. At least he hoped so. Send. 

He brushed his teeth and changed into pajamas before his phone buzzed with a reply. 

_Looking forward to seeing you too :) Goodnight!_

Adrien smiled. Tomorrow couldn't come soon enough.


	6. The power of air

Marinette woke up feeling full of energy despite her restless night. She read his text again. He looked forward to seeing her. A good sign and yet she still felt unbelievably nervous. She had decided she wouldn't bring up the near kiss if he didn't and would just follow his lead. The ball of nerves in her stomach only grew and she decided to skip breakfast. There was no way she would manage to eat anything right now. She rushed to school knowing he probably wouldn't be there yet but she needed to spend the energy. She almost wished for an akuma attack to distract her. 

Almost. 

"Hey girl!" Alya greeted her "Did you get any sleep? You look kind of …" on edge, tired, excited, nervous, happy, all of the above?

"Look what Adrien texted me yesterday." She showed Alya her phone. 

"See! He likes you. Nothing to be worried about. You've got this!" 

Tikki had been saying the same thing all night. She was starting to have other thoughts as well. Was she even ready for this? 

"Deep breaths Marinette because prince charming just walked in." Alya nodded to the entrance. Marinette whipped around. Adrien spotted her and his face lit up as he gave her a small wave. She smiled in response and gave her own little wave back. Alright heart, calm down. 

Phones buzzed all over the place. You have got to be kidding! She had been joking about the akuma attack!

"All students to the gym. Large scale akuma attack. All students to the gym. This is not a drill." The principal's voice said over the speakers. 

"Where's the akuma?" Marinette's heart sank. 

"Near the Louvre. Woah!" Alya turned her phone so Marinette could see. What. Was. That? "It's like some big black smoke cloud. It says here it's making everyone who gets engulfed by it go crazy and violent." Alya's eyes frowned in concern. "We better go to the gym, come on." Alya grabbed her arm. She had to get away and fast.

"Marinette, Alya, did you see the alert? Have you guys seen Nino?" Adrien jogged over to them.

Alya's eyes got panicky. "I'll find him. I'll meet you guys inside the gym ok!" She waved as she selected Nino in her contacts and walked away at an impressive speed. 

She looked up at Adrien, trying to think of an excuse to get away.

"I'll check the other halls. I'll see you in the gym." Adrien beat her to it. Well, that was easy. Their talk would have to wait, she had a job to do. 

*****

Ladybug overlooked the scene in front of her, unsure of what to do. The dark cloud wasn't moving with the wind, but it was expanding. She had managed to set a perimeter around it with the help of the police and she and Cat Noir had captured and tied up any of the Parisiens that had been afflicted by the villain. She had observed long enough to see that it wasn't the cloud that was the problem. She had caught glimpses of the flying villain near the edge a few times, if he touched someone, they went crazy. It seemed they had managed to round up all the Parisiens and now the police were taking care of them. But now what? The villain was hiding in his thick cloud of darkness. She didn't want to walk into a trap. 

"Any ideas m'lady?" Cat Noir asked. He had been nothing but professional all day. Obviously he thought they had a serious problem too. 

"Ladybug! Cat Noir!" A deep voice yelled. "You are helpless against me. Give me your miraculous before it's too late!" 

"A two-sided attack?" Cat Noir asked. Ladybug had considered it but what they really needed was a way of seeing in the cloud. Running in blind seemed dangerous. She wished they had something to give them a better chance of success.

"Let's see what my luck has in store for us." She called her lucky charm only to get… a macaroon?

"Tasty but I don't think feeding it treats is going to help."

"No, but feeding our kwami's might!" Her eyes lit up. "We need to transform back and use one of the kwami potions."

"Which one? I don't think Master Fu covered what to do if a giant evil cloud was trying to overtake Paris."

"Hopefully our kwamis will know. Come on!" She swung towards a nearby empty alley. "You can hide on the other side of the dumpster. That way we can talk to each other and our kwamis." He did as she asked. "Spots off." She heard a muffled 'claws in'. 

"Plagg! The green one?" Tikki wasted no time. 

"Ugh. Do we have to?"

"It's the only one that would give them a tactical advantage."

"Green. That allows us to fly right?" She heard Cat Noir ask. 

"It's the best I can think of."

"Sounds like a plan." Marinette pulled out the green macaroon. "Tikki, power up!" Tikki's arms became wings and a crown of light golden feathers appeared on her head. Her turn. "Spots on!" She felt wings form from her back and the wind respond to her touch as she twirled to help them unwind. She felt her hair come loose and get longer as her suit developed some aerodynamic aids. 

She flew out of the alley as Cat Noir joined her. His suit had become slick and, from his back, two large black wings half his height loomed. His hair was shorter and slicked back along with his cat ears. Ladybug gapped. He looked good with short hair. Really good.

"Nice hair." He complimented her. "You should let it down more often."

"This isn't the time for makeover advice. Come on." She flew above the cloud, the air being pushed down by her wings barely disturbing the dark cloud. 

"Wanna bet he's right in the middle?" Cat Noir asked. 

"Let's split up. Yell if you find him." 

Cat Noir nodded and she pulled out her yoyo's GPS. She could see both her and Cat Noir's position. They nodded to each other and entered the dark cloud. It was the thickest fog she had ever seen, she couldn't even see Cat Noir who she knew had to be just a few meters away from her.

She heard a cackle in the dark coming from the right. She went in the general direction she had heard the sound. Maybe she could get the villain to talk some more. 

"Show yourself! How else are you going to collect our miraculous?" She taunted.

The voice barked a laugh. "You won't trick me that easily Ladybug!" 

A bit more to the left. The ground started coming into focus. She was perhaps two meters from it. This was thick stuff. She hoped Cat Noir could hear him too. He was being awfully quiet. 

"You won't get them by running from us." She taunted some more, soaring a little higher.

"Careful what you wish for Ladybug." The voice was louder. Even more to her left. She moved towards it and could make out a dark figure. If he hadn't already, he would see her figure as well. She threw her yoyo, wrapping it around him and pulled all while making her way upwards. 

"Gah!" The figure complained. 

"Cat Noir I have hi- ouf" the figure had stopped pulling on her yoyo and had rushed to her instead. Startled, she released the tension in the string and stumbled to the side, struggling with her wings. Where did he go?

Something slammed into her from behind, her wings missing a beat causing her to fall. "Cat Noir!" She yelled out as an urge to destroy everything around her overtook her.


	7. When the other shoe drops

Cat Noir flew as fast as he could towards Ladybug. He had tried to circle around the villain as Ladybug had talked with it, only he had been too slow. For a second it sounded like Ladybug had had him and she had finally been in view. Or at least the shape of her had been. The cloud was too thick. He hadn't had time to warn her to watch out as another shape slammed into her not once but twice. The figure had quickly disappeared but he had another priority now. "Ladybug! Don't worry, I'm coming!" He rushed to her. He grabbed her and pulled them both up. She struggled against him and managed to shove him off just as they exited the cloud. Cat Noir went flying upwards with the force of her push. He spun to face her again and what he saw made his heart sink. She was glaring at him with more hatred in her eyes than he had ever seen. If looks could kill, he would have lost all nine lives. She sped his way and, startled, he flew further away from the cloud. At least he could keep himself clear of the dark dust while he figured out what to do about this new problem.

Ladybug was faster however and caught up to him giving him a kick to his stomach. He tried to grab her around the arms and wings and wraps his legs around hers to immobilize her but she jabbed her elbow upwards into his face and kicked his other leg. This was not good. 

"Ladybug, it's me!" He tried to reason with her. Not that that would do any good. Talking hadn't worked on any of the affected Parisians but it helped focus his mind. 

"Ahah there's nothing you can do Cat Noir." The villain appeared out of the dark cloud next to Ladybug. He was covered in some kind of black goop and had his own set of wings. He wore a helmet with the visor down on his head. Seeing as how that was the only object the villain seemed to be wearing, Cat Noir figured that's where the akuma was hidden. "Get him Ladybug!" The supervillain cheered. Ladybug lunged for him as he lunged for the villain calling his cataclysm. But Ladybug was faster and yanked him away. Great. Now he would have to fight single-handed. Ladybug punched and kicked as he focused on blocking her hits. The goop villain watched with glee. At least he had stuck around. If he chose his moment right maybe he could get another chance at cataclysming the guy's helmet. Only Ladybug was relentless and he was getting weak. Not only that, but his time was running out. Ladybug was drawing him closer to the cloud as well. Cat Noir eased up on his fighting. He wasn't going to defeat Ladybug. He needed to get closer to the goop guy who still watched from the sidelines. He pretended to be slower and more exhausted than he felt, allowing Ladybug to beat him up. Please work. The villain moved closer. His whole body tense with the anticipation of victory and that's when Cat Noir struck. He kicked Ladybug in the stomach, sending her into the cloud hoping she would forgive him for that one and flew straight towards the villain, his hand on his helmet before the villain could even flinch. The impact had them tumbling into the cloud as well. Cat Noir grabbed the guy who was now turning back to his civilian self and set him on the ground. He then spun around waiting for Ladybug to come after him.  
"Time for your lucky charm LB." He eyed the cloud. A figure finally approached. He grabbed her arm and twisted it so she faced away.  
Ladybug laughed mockingly. "How do you plan on saving Paris now?"

He wasn't sure. He needed her to say the words…  
He managed to secure his hold on her. "The real question is how are you going to free yourself. Looks like you need help and your buddy isn't in a position to help you anymore."

She tried to free herself from his grip. He held her tighter.  
"I'm not getting you your lucky charm."  
Bingo. He went for her yoyo and threw it upwards, hoping that it would work. He sighed a breath of relief when it released an object. Ladybug kicked at his legs but he managed to catch the object anyway. He didn't even bother to look at what it was before tossing it back into the air. 

"Miraculous Ladybug!" He collapsed on the ground. Ladybug landing on top of him, fully preparing to punch his face as the magical ladybugs swarmed them. The relief was a warm welcome as they mended his beaten up body and restored his strength. He could also feel Ladybug straighten herself and tense as she got back to normal. 

"Cat Noir?" She blinked at him and then at her hands. "What was I doing?" She yelled in horror. The look was so cute he laughed as his ring beeped a final time. Oh no. The ladybugs were still swarming the cloud when his transformation dropped. Ladybug gasped, still on top of him. She looked around and rolled onto his side, blocking him from the akuma victim's view. Hopefully, she had been fast enough. "Hurry Plagg." He pulled out a piece of cheese that Plagg gulped in a single bite. "Claws out!" He rushed. Ladybug was still staring at him, eyes wide and mouth agape. He stood up and searched around. The ladybugs where disappearing but where was… there. Without thinking, he grabbed Ladybug's yoyo again and flung it at the akuma. Ladybug snapped into action. She took over as she purified the akuma and released the butterfly. 

Cat Noir gave a sigh of relief. He looked around. There was no one except for the victim who was picking up his restored helmet. "What happened?" 

"What do you remember?" Adrien asked eagerly. 

"I was on my motorcycle and this car nearly hit me and we got into an argument and then next thing I know I'm here and there are all these ladybugs..." The man blinked. " I turned around and I saw… I saw you both lying on the ground and I thought I had killed you but then you got up and grabbed Ladybug's yoyo."

Cat Noir gave a sigh of relief. His identity was safe. Mostly. He looked around for Ladybug but couldn't see her anywhere. Had she left? His heart sunk. She knew who he was now. He had been in shock when he had discovered her identity. Maybe she had needed to go away and think as he had. He would find her later. For now, he had a victim to care for. 

"Come on." He grabbed hold of him. "Where did you leave your bike?" 

*****

Ladybug was swinging across Paris. If she went fast enough maybe she could slow the onslaught of thoughts attacking her. Cat Noir was Adrien. Adrien was Cat Noir. It was as if there had always been a fog in her mind that she had never noticed but was now gone. Adrien was the one she protected Paris with. The hero who had become her best friend. The guy who had, on many occasions, expressed his love for her. And she had had no idea. She had pushed him away. Repeatedly. Oh man. She had kissed him! She came to a stop hand to her mouth. Her first kiss. The one that had saved Cat Noir from the hate-curse… her earrings were beeping frantically she checked that no one was on the nearby rooftops. 

"Spots off." She collapsed on the floor, letting Tikki get her own cookie. 

"Marinette?" Tikki approached her head slowly once she had satisfied her hunger. "Are you ok?"

"I-" She closed her mouth. She didn't know what she was. "Adrien-"

"Is probably really worried about you right now." Tikki finished for her. That was not at all what she was going to say. 

The puns, the sweet talk, the cockiness… she thought it all over with Adrien in lieu of Cat Noir. It was Adrien who had visited her the other night. No wonder Cat Noir hadn't been more upset. 

He loved her. All of her. Adrien?

Part of her had always thought that if it hadn't been for Adrien, she probably would have fallen for Cat Noir but never in a million years did she think they could be the same person! 

"Tikki. What do I do?" She asked, burying her face in her hands. Her brain couldn't handle this. 

"Stay positive Marinette." Marinette peaked at her kwami who was eyeing the horizon worriedly. Tikki was probably worried she would get akumatized. She took deep breaths. She could not allow that to happen. It was ok. Cat Noir, Adrien, he would trust her to keep his secret. Like Master Fu had told them. Unless they were discovered by anyone else they could keep their miraculous. They could still be partners. But what else would they be? 

"Tikki, spots on." She headed home. There was no way she could face him at school now. Not yet anyway.


	8. When the dust settles

Adrien had hoped Marinette would be at the school by the time he got there but no luck. The rest of the school had already been released from the gym and everyone was told to go to class. Still no sign of Marinette. 

"Alya, have you seen Marinette?" 

"She texted me a few minutes ago that she was feeling sick and went home." She gave him a questioning look as if he should have known and more so as if it was his fault. 

"Is she ok?"

"Did you guys talk yet?" She asked instead of answering.

He blinked. How much did Alya know?

She sighed. "I thought you may have said something to upset her. She mentioned what happened yesterday and that you guys were going to talk today." 

Right. That. He slowly exhaled. Would she still return his feelings? He checked his phone unsure of whether to reach out or not. 

_Can we talk?_ He texted.

He had to at least let her know he was thinking of her. He didn't pay attention to any of his classes and, when he had the chance, he kept checking his phone. Marinette never replied. He considered going to her place but if she wasn't answering his texts than she probably still needed time. When he got home, he tried to finish the project he was supposed to have met up with Marinette to work on. He didn't get very far and then he had his worst Chinese lesson yet. He was given a lot of extra homework and his tutor had left with a high level of annoyance. Hopefully not enough to get akumatized. That was the last thing he needed. Giving up on distractions, Adrien lay on the bed staring at the ceiling. Plagg didn't even tease him for mopping. 

*****

Ladybug was roaming the Parisian skyline. The sun had set an hour or so ago and she could see a few stars. Her steps lead her to Adrien's mansion. She stared into his room from the roof across the street. She took a deep breath. She didn't know if this was a good idea but she felt like seeing him in person would somehow help her figure everything out. 

She swung to his window and tapped. Adrien shot up from his bed and ran towards the window opening it so she could get in. She did so without looking him in the eyes. She observed how the jaw and mouth were identical to Cat Noir's. Tikki had explained how, with the magic lifted, they would appear as one and the same to her now. He shifted from foot to foot and rubbed his neck. She finally looked into his eyes and the uncertainty and worry there was unmistakably Cat Noirs. But also Adrien. Things started to click into place piece by piece. 

"Hey." He said softly. 

"Hey." She said so low it was nearly a whisper. 

"How are you doing?" He asked, his eyes peering into hers. 

"I still don't know to be honest." 

"I get that. Been there." He offered her a small smile. 

"Could you do me a favor?" She asked, surprising herself.

"Anything." He quickly answered.

"Could you transform into Cat Noir for a minute."

Plagg moaned. "I don't see why you can't just accept the truth and kiss already."

"Plagg!" Adrien berated. "Sorry. He has no manners." Adrien apologized to her. "Claws out." 

And before her eyes his black suit covered his body, his ears popped into existence, his mask covered his face and his belt tail rolled out. He was the same old Cat Noir only now she could see Adrien underneath. He had been there the whole time and she had had no idea. 

She took a step forward and cupped his face, searching his eyes. The white part was green but it was definitely Adrien's eyes. 

"How did I miss it?"

Adrien shifted uncomfortably and she backed away, letting her hand drop. 

"Really really strong magic apparently," Cat Noir said.

Yeah. No kidding. 

"Spots off." Marinette rubbed her temples.

"Does it seem clearer now?" Tikki asked her.

Cat Noir was watching her carefully as if one wrong move would scare her away. 

She needed to get a grip. 

"Ok." She stood straighter. "So we know each other's identities."

Cat Noir nodded. 

"And-" Marinette laughed. "And for over a year now we've been in love with the other without knowing it."

Cat Noir froze. "You love me?"

"The Adrien side yeah." Marinette blushed. That had been so easy. Why had it seemed so hard to tell him before? She looked into his eyes again. Worry had been replaced with hope. 

"I had no idea." He whispered, a slight smile on his face. "What about now?" He asked, the uncertainty returning to those beautiful eyes again. The eyes belonging to her best friend, the person she trusted fully and now knew and understood so much better. Her heart swelled with the emotion of it all. 

"I'm seeing what you meant about falling even more in love now that I have a deeper picture."

She had never seen Cat Noir grin so wide. He took a step forward and clasped her hands. She smiled at his eagerness.

"Marinette, M'lady." He stepped even closer. "May I?" He asked, eyes dancing. 

Marinette smiled back and nodded. She leaned in gently but without hesitation as his lips captured hers. She squeezed his hand as she got up on her tippy toes to deepen the kiss. His lips moved slowly against hers and she felt her whole body warm. She never wanted to stop kissing him. He pulled back and rested his head on hers, breathing deeply. "Claws in." He whispered and the air shifted as he became Adrien again. 

She played with his hair. "It's crazy how different you look with tousled hair."

"Which do you prefer?" He smiled down at her.

"I actually really liked your short hair from earlier today." She blushed.

Adrien grinned. "Maybe I'll get a haircut." 

Marinette grabbed onto a few locks of hair. "Then again, this length does have its uses." She gently pulled him towards her and kissed him again. Adrien eventually grabbed her arm and gently pushed her back. 

"Are we going too fast?" He asked, searching her eyes. 

"My sweet kitty." She cupped his cheek. "Always the gentleman." She took a step back. "Maybe we could just talk for a bit?"

He smiled at her and nodded. He took her hand and led her to the couch where he sat down and she leaned against him. He wrapped his arms around her and she hugged them in return. 

"This is nice." Marinette sighed. 

"The best." She could feel rather than see Adrien smile. She laughed. 

"I still can't believe it. All this time… and you mister had an unfair advantage! Coming for visits as Cat Noir just to get intel." She nudged him. "Do you have any idea how much I worried about hurting you and it turns out you were probably over the moon with my revelations!"

Adrien laughed. It was Cat Noir's 'you know you can't live without me' laugh. She looked up half expecting to see his masked face. 

"I'm going to need time to get used to this." She voiced.

"We have all the time you want." He hugged her closer. "So what do we tell the others at school tomorrow?"

Marinette drew figures on Adrien's hand with her finger as she considered it. "Well, we should probably tone things down in front of others for starters." No new relationship would be this comfortable already. They wouldn't understand their sudden deep affection, trust, and comfort around each other. 

Adrien chuckled. "You're probably right."

"We'll tell them we talked on the phone and you asked me to be your-" she cut herself off. He hadn't actually asked her that. 

"Girlfriend?" Adrien supplied. 

That made her smile. "Is that what we are?" She sent him a shy smile. 

Adrien grabbed her hand. "Marinette Dupain-Cheng. Would you please be my girlfriend?"

She wiggled to face him and smiled brightly. "Yes." She gave him a quick kiss. 

"So we tell them I asked, you said yes and that after school we're going for milkshakes but of course we won't get to because someone somewhere is going to ruin our first date by getting akumatized."

"That or make it very memorable." That struck a thought. "We should probably keep things professional as heroes though."

Adrien nodded. "We don't want Hawk Moth using it against us."

Marinette rolled her eyes. "Now he understands what I've been saying this whole time." She threw her hands in the air in mock exasperation. 

"What? My flirting worked in the end." He pointed between them. 

Marinette giggled. "You just being yourself is what worked. Not your cheesy pick-up lines."

"Admit it, you enjoyed some of them." He hugged her close again and they settled back into their comfy cuddle. She could get used to this. 

"Ok, maybe a very small minority." She lifted her hand with two fingers nearly touching to illustrate. 

Adrien laughed and they lapsed into a comfortable silence. 

"I should probably go back home," Marinette said after a while but didn't move to get up. 

"I suppose we will see each other again in…" he strained his neck to look at the clock. "Seven hours."

Marinette stood up. "Then I really need to get home and get some sleep for that milkshake akuma tomorrow. Tikki spots on!" Adrien watched her transform with a look of awe. 

"You're really amazing." He took a step closer to her and leaned in for another kiss. She obliged before slipping a finger between their mouths and pushing him back. "I really should get going."

He smiled at her and walked her to the window. Offering his hand as a help to get through the window. She didn't need it, but accepted it anyway. 

"See you tomorrow." She smiled softly at him. 

"I love you," Adrien said, looking surprised that he had spoken out loud.

She leaned in to kiss him again. "I love you too." The words came out effortlessly. They should have done this sooner. She giggled. "Remember that time I ran into a storage closet to transform back and you nearly opened it to see who I was?" 

Adrien looked away ashamed. "Yeah?"

"We could have saved ourselves a lot of heartaches."

"This was worth the wait." He kissed her hand. "Goodnight m'lady."

"Goodnight Kitty." And with that, she swung home. Her heart lighter than it had ever been.


End file.
